We chat with author Alex Kadis about Big Nobody, which is a wickedly funny coming-of-age novel about a misfit teenager in London determined to eliminate the one thing standing between her and a good life: her father.
Hi, Alex! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi Nerds! I live in East London. I used to be a music journalist and then moved into music management which stressed me out immensely and made me realise I am not, nor ever will be, a hard-nosed wheeler dealer. Instead, I am a yoga practising, church bell ringing, walking in the bluebell woods absolute sap of a human being. I am obsessed with literature and language and were it not for the need to earn a living, I could lounge around reading and eating chocolate all day every day. I love animals – all creatures especially the furry ones – and the Greek Islands. And I swear. I know it’s not big or clever and I try to re-train myself to use alternative words but the swearing feels so good. I may be a hopeless case.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
It all came from my mum. She loved to read. We had very little money but we had library cards and we were always in the library borrowing and returning books. She bought me a story book called “366 Bedtime Stories.” I read something from it every night until I knew all the stories by heart. I thought I’d better have a go at it myself. My first significant opus was a book of short stories called “The Goldfish by Alexandra Banayoda Kadis Aged 9 ½.” I used my mum’s old style type writer and the entire book ran to about six pages most of which were drawings of goldfish. This was soon followed by “The Alligator Collection” which was a book of terrible poetry. Cringingly embarrassing these “works” may have been, but they opened up my universe. I was in awe of the fact that you could make up so many different scenarios. From a blank page. It seemed like magic to me.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: A beautifully illustrated and abridged edition of Jules Verne’s Journey to The Centre of The Earth.
- The one that made you want to become an author: The Catcher in The Rye J.D Salinger
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: To Kill A Mockingbird Harper Lee
Your debut novel, Big Nobody, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Funny, heartbreaking, layered, shocking, life-affirming.
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect the unexpected. Big Nobody is a little tricky to categorise which is exactly how I wanted it to be. I wanted it to challenge the reader whilst entertaining them and making them laugh. The book is written from the adult perspective of Constance Costa, looking back on the tragic and tragically comic events that shaped her unconventional life. We first meet her when she is a teenager, full of teenage angst and bluster and on the verge of discovering love and sex. And murder. I hope the reader will feel involved, drawn into her story.
Where did the inspiration for Big Nobody come from?
I had read Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart, which is about a young boy who is abused and carries the mark of that abuse so that it affects his life negatively. It’s a sad book with very little light. And it also addressed subject matter which was relevant to my life, but not my experience or how I was affected. And I started to think about the what ifs. What if a character who had been through difficult circumstances refused to become a victim. What if that character challenged her oppressors. What if, through imagination and music and friendship, that character could create a new life, one that could be hopeful and fulfilling. What if the book juxtaposed the very dark with the very funny. What if it the character emerged not damaged, but changed. I wanted to write a book that understood and would give hope.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I loved writing Constance, the main character. I wanted her to be larger than life and to stay with the reader after they’d finished the book, someone you could laugh and cry with, someone who was prepared to do the job of revenge that, perhaps, we’ve all been a bit too scared (or too sane) to do in our own lives at some point. But I also loved writing her Greek auntie, Roulla, who has her own struggles as a woman trying to manage her life within the confines of a draconian patriarchy. She’s multi-layered and also a bit ridiculous and sad. I wanted her to be someone you’d laugh at (not with) but someone you would admire all the same.
My favourite scene to write was the Greek wedding scene. Greek weddings are hilarious anyway. They’re a grab-all-you-can food and drink fest; barely contained chaos. I wanted to juxtapose a teenage love affair blooming freely against the backdrop of a shotgun wedding. As well as getting all the colour and movement and music of the wedding, I wanted to convey its dark underbelly. It was important to set this up right as this is the night that Constance first feels like an adult and it’s also the night her innocence is destroyed.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
Yes! My biggest challenge was that I was writing an adult book with very adult themes but it began with the reflections of a teenager. It took me a long time to work out how to ensure the opening chapters didn’t read like teen fiction while still capturing the personality and language of a teenager. In the end I got round it by thinking about that amazing film, Stand By Me, with River Phoenix. The adult narrator sets the scene with a voice over and then cuts to the teenagers larking about, or in my case, raging in her bedroom. I wrote a prologue in an adult tone which, I hope helps set that up.
This is your debut published novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
Well it was exceptionally difficult in that it took me 60 years to get the courage to write it! But once it was written, it was a good experience for me. I found an agent pretty quickly. Getting a deal in the USA happened quickly. There was talk of getting a bid going but I just wanted to work with Sara Birmingham at Random House as soon as I spoke with her. Same with my UK editor, Amy Batley. The fact is, I thought the book was good and that it would get published, but I didn’t think for a second it would happen so quickly. I was also terrified that would not happen at all and throughout the entire business I was pinching myself to make sure it was real and quaking in my boots for fear it would all disappear. I was very lucky that my book landed with the right people.
What’s next for you?
I have two books I want to write. The first is a book which draws from my years of experience in the music world. I’m in the process of creating a character who I hope will win all the hearts he manages to lose, before his story ends. And the next book will be trickier. It’s a bit of an epic which will involve some actual research and travel but which will still revolve around characters who do extraordinary things and take big risks. For me it is always character over plot. I forget plots over time, but always remember a great character.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
Just started So Old So Young by Grant Ginder – one chapter in and I’m hopelessly hooked already. I also want to read The Given World by Melissa Harrison – she writes about nature and its relationship with humans so beautifully she makes me want to cry. And I’m taking Wimmy Road Boyz by Sufiyaan Salam on holiday with me next week.
You can find Alex on Instagram, Facebook, and Substack.
